Let The Games Begin
by Azuri-Chann
Summary: Noel and Ragna find themselves playing hide-and-seek with a Kaka suffering from a severe case of boredom. Reluctant? Yes, yes they are. Annoyed? Yes, it was bound to happen. Lesson: If you don't play fair, the usually carefree and innocent kaka can become a lot more manipulative than she looks. Two-Shot.
1. Game On!

A/N: What to say, what to say. I decided to combine the two one-shots since I figured it'd be easier instead of searching for the separate installments. Though I don't know why I didn't do it like this in the first place... Anyway, I deleted the previous author's notes by mistake while editing but apart from that there's nothing too different about this! Well, except for the reviews being jumbled because of my meddling, but that aside, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own BlazBlue, its characters or anything else related to it. Why else would I be writing fanfiction then?

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Chapter One: Game On!

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Taokaka had a lighthearted spirit. At most times she almost never took things seriously, but that was part of her joyful personality and the fact that she brushed things off without second-thought. The words revenge and payback were not in her mental dictionary— if she even knew what a dictionary was...but that's beside the point. Overall, she was a carefree Kaka who didn't dwell too deeply on matters such as revenge. But there was an exception on one day...

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It all began one ordinary afternoon in Orient Town, where the usual sounds of a bustling crowd and eager merchants making sales mixed in the background noise. Tao was wandering around the streets aimlessly, suffering the dreadful condition known as...boredom.  
She didn't feel like finding Rawgnya, because she had looked all over for him already with no luck and was pretty much done for the day. She wanted to ask Scruffy Man to help her, but he was probably off somewhere with the Blow Pops. She never quite understood why guarding the Ronin Gai Pools was such an important task when most of the ladies there were kickass fighters themselves. They kept throwing knives and shurikon in their sleeves! ...Which Tao unfortunately discovered that last time she was appreciating the glorious smell of freshly baked pies that rested on the low windowsills of their homes.

Tao would have shuddered at the memories if not for her current predicament.

"Meowww, Tao's booored..." she sighed hopelessly, slumping down in a lame slouch as she wandered through the masses of people minding their own business and not even offering her a meal, which she would've appreciated greatly because if there was one sure-fire thing that could ease boredom it was eating.

"If only someone could play with Tao, meoww," she mumbled, forlornly. And because coincidence decided to be convenient for a change, Ragna came walking from around the corner wearing his trademark bright red jacket.

Tao's eyes widened in delight when she spotted him. "Good guy!" she called and waved giant paw as she skipped over to him with a broad grin.

Ragna held back a sigh when Tao approached him. "Oh, it's you..." he noted aloud, his tone obviously hinting that he was not that happy to see her.

However, regardless of that, Tao beamed brightly. "Whatcha doing, Good Guy?" she asked almost immediately.

"Nothing much," he shrugged, tactlessly shaking off her presence by choosing to look over his shoulder.

"Good." The cat-girl tugged on the sleeves of his jacket, directing his attention back to her. "Then play with Tao!" she said, almost bouncing on her toes with excitement.

"What?" Ragna managed, looking down on the Kaka girl with his eyebrows raised and doubting if she really did just ask him to _play._

"You heard Tao, let's play a game!" she insisted persistently, wondering what was wrong with Good Guy's ears if he couldn't hear the first time.

The white-haired man spared a glance over his shoulder before shoving pass the kaka in a hurry with nothing more than an offhandish wave of apology. "Look, Tao, I don't have time for this right now..." he said hurriedly, walking off.

Tao paused, blinking in what could only be utter confusion. "Meow? But, Good Guy was doing nothing anyway!" she protested, following after him. "Why not play with Tao?"

Ragna let out a half sigh half groan when he noticed that she was skipping next to him. "Because, Tao, I'm not a stupid kid," he explained briskly, walking on and ignoring that she was practically tailing him. "Now get lost."

Tao frowned at his snippy remark. Why was Good Guy being such a meanie all of a sudden?

Just then, an idea occurred. A tried-and-tested idea that had always worked when pestering Miss Litchi for meat buns. This idea was pure genius. And the genius, who would carry it out, was none other than Taokaka!

She immediately brightened up, racing after Ragna who went on without her in a faster pace.

"Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Meow! Meow!" she chanted, jumping up and down while she followed. Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Meow! Meow! Play with Tao—"

Ragna's shoulders tensed and he paused in his step. He looked around, seeing that some people were turning around curiously to see who was making the big commotion.

"Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Meow! Meow! Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Play with Tao! Meow! Meow! Play with Ta—!"

"Shh!" Ragna hissed, trying not to be too noticeable. "Shut up!"

All attention was fixed on the Kaka girl and the one clad in red standing right in front of her and beckoning her to quiet down, and only more attention was attracted when she continued in a louder voice. She inhaled a deep breath and cocked her head back slightly as she chanted with more energy and volume: "PLAY WITH TAO! PLAY WITH TAO! PLAY WITH TAO! MEOW! MEO—Ow!"

"Argh," Ragna groaned and loosely grabbed the Kaka's arm, yanking her forward roughly. "Alright! Alright! ...I'll play with you, now be quiet!" he relented in annoyance, letting out a careless half-grin to a young woman who standing nearby and giving him a funny look.

Tao pulled her arm out of his grasp with a victorious smile. Calming down, she grinned childishly. "Okay!"

Ragna stopped himself from sighing. After being beaten by that Rabbit and being chased halfway around town dodging the bullets fired by that blonde chick, he would officially loose all his dignity and what little pride he had as a man by asking this one question. This one question that he thought he would never ask even once in his lifetime.

"...So what game do you want to play?"

"Hmmmmm." Unaware of his declining pride, Tao cupped paw under her chin, thinking, thinking, thinking. If her attention span allowed her to be capable of thinking for more than half a second, she would have spared Ragna the humiliation instead of slapping a paw to her knee and coming up with a suggestion. "I know! Let's play hide and seek!"

"Hide and..." Ragna trailed off, slapping a hand to his face and dragging it down tiredly. He looked at Tao, disbelievingly and totally speechless. "Are you for real? You gotta be kidding me."

There was no way he would stoop to that level. He'd rather have a tea party with the prissy Rabbit then play a kids game as stupid as that.

"Meow? What's wrong good guy?"

"Nothin'. Never mind, but don't we need more people if we're going with that?"

Just then, Noel Vermillion came running around the bend with her pistols drawn. "Ragna the Bloodedge, show yourself!" she commanded loudly, stirring more commotion in the crowd who had steadily carried on with their own business when nothing dramatic happened to gossip over.

Ragna grunted, "Damn, not her again." Alerted by her presence, he turned to Tao quickly and leaned forward, speaking in a low tone. "Okay Tao, how about we go over there and pla—"

"Hey! Hey! Lacking Lady! Over here!" Tao called out to Noel, flailing her arms and tail to catch the blonde's attention. Noel's eyes widened, noticing them. She ran towards the two.

"Ragna the Bloodedge, turn yourself in!"

"Rawgnya?" Clueless, Tao looked between Ragna and Noel, and then shook her head with a laugh before explaining, "Oh no, this here is Good Guy and he's playing hide-and-seek with Tao!"

After a dumbfounded pause taken to look between the two of them and determine whether or not they could perhaps be accomplices, Noel was about to say something, but Ragna cut her off.

" Yeah, we're playing hide and seek...now if you'll excuse us," he said, slinging an arm around the Kaka girl's shoulders and turning around.

"H-hold it right there!" Noel raced in front of them, halting them from continuing any further. "Now I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play, but—'

"Yes! We're playing hide-and-seek" Tao did the honors of explaining, to Ragna's dissatisfaction because he let out a withered sigh. "Play with us Lacking Lady!" she suggested cheerily.

Noel crossed her arms around her chest, fighting against her blush and making an effort to try to hold a resolute expression. "S-stop calling me that! And anyway..."

"Okay good!" the Kaka interrupted with a final nod. "Tao will hide, you and Good Guy will seek!"

Before anything else could be said after the conclusion, she raced down the road as the two watched after her, completely stunned.

"...What just happened?" Noel muttered, tilting her head slightly toward Ragna, her eyes still looking down the lane.

The white-haired man could only shake his head slowly. "Now unless you want to ruin this game, let's start seeking, he answered quickly, deciding to make use of the opportunity.

"Wh-but-!" Noel flustered, following Ragna with her eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. "Alright..." she gave in with a refrained sigh before snapping her head up to look at him. "But as soon as this is over, I'm arresting you! Okay?"

Ragna kept his mouth set in a grim line. "Sure you are."

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"Hahahaha! This is the best hiding place ever! They'll never find Tao here!" Tao chuckled to herself, climbing in the mouth of the gaping dragon in the open plaza of the Business District. This was the most obscured spot indeed, and there she patiently waited for the two to come find her.

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"She's not here either," said Ragna, kicking over a barrel and sending it clattering down the slope and colliding straight into a stall. While the shop-keeper fussed around and gaped at the smashed bottles and goods that fell down, Noel turned to the white-haired man.

"How long have we been looking?" she asked, tucking loose strands of blonde hair back into her cap when it came out.

"Two hours," Ragna blankly informed. "Maybe she saw a meat bun and got distracted."

"So you're saying that the game is over?" Noel assumed, getting Bolverk ready.

Ragna glanced at her hands as they tightened around the grip of her pistols. He took a moment to think about that. Noel would obviously start chasing him again if he said yes so... "Mehh, lets give it another hour."

And so they continued walking, unaware of the angry fist being shaken in their direction by an angry shop-keeper who noticed them.

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Tao crouched over, hunched in the confined space. She waited and waited and waited. Maybe they got lost? Nah, they were adults. As far as she knew, adults never got lost! So she remained still, waiting, waiting, waiting.

Her stomach grumbled. "Meow...Tao's hungry," she whined, trying to pat her protesting stomach. While she leaned forward to stretch the cricks in her back, she caught a whiff of delicious smelling foods from the outside. "No...Tao's playing a game."

For the first time, Tao chose something over her stomach. She waited.

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Ragna kicked over another empty crate in frustration. This was getting annoying.

"Any luck?" he asked over his shoulder at Noel who had just closed another barrel with a hopeless expression.

She sighed, wiping her forehead. "This is really tiring. I wonder where she could be hiding."

"Hey...how about we make a deal?" Ragna offered as an afterthought to taking off when she wasn't looking.

Noel blinked at this sudden proposal. She then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What kind of deal?"

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Deciding to quickly take a stretch, Tao climbed out of the dragon's cramped up mouth. She groaned, drool hanging from her mouth. "Food...meow...Tao needs...foood."

Good Guy and Lacking Lady appeared from an alleyway together and came to a stop in the middle of the street.

"Maybe my hiding place was too hard for them...meow." Tao sulked, holding her growling stomach.

"Tao will pretend to be hiding in that barrel, just so they can find me and I can finally eat!" she decided. Using her Kaka stealth, she slipped through the stalls and made her way to the nearby barrel.

Ducking behind the barrel, unaware of her tail sticking up, Tao could hear what they were saying. She listened in as she waited for them to find her.

"Look, we're both tired after four hours of throwing over crates and barrels and searching for the kid. Why don't we go our separate ways and freshen up." Ragna suggested, casually.

"But, she'll be waiting for us—"

"Overnight? Pretty much," he finished brazenly.

Noel bit her bottom lip momentarily. "That's mean considering that she only wanted to play," she said considerately.

"Well, we could always go back to looking for her. With no break, no warm showers, no meals," Ragna listed, noting the obvious changes taking place in the lieutenant's expression.

"I hate to say this, but I agree..." she concurred weakly, giving a faint nod. Realizing the satisfied look on Ragna's face Noel wasted no time adding, "But tomorrow, I'm resuming my duties as an NOL officer and then I'll arrest you Ragna the Bloodedge!"

Ragna leaned away from her holding his head and flinching at her suddenly raised tone. "Do you always have to yell like that?" he carped, prodding his ear with one finger.

Noel averted her eyes quickly, flushing in embarrasment. After a swift and awkward exchange of goodbyes, the blonde lowered her weapons and trudged the opposite direction of Ragna as he went his own way.

It took a minute —well maybe a little longer— before the words of their conversation made sense to the prying Kaka. Tao's red eyes narrowed into two furious slits and she clutched her grumbling stomach with a sneer.

"Well if that's how they wanna play, then, meow...bring it on!"

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A/N: See there... Tao believes that skipping a meal or a snack of any kind is sin! Learn from that, people! ^w^


	2. For the Win!

Chapter Two: For the Win!

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Taokaka raced through the streets of Orient Town, a rapturously crafty grin steadily forming on her shadowed face. She had already spoken to the Kaka Elder and now there was only one person left to see!

"Nyeh heh heh heh heh," she chuckled a conniving chuckle before throwing the clinic doors open, almost sending them flying straight off their hinges. She burst in the foyer, whipping her head around in all directions as she called loudly and urgently for the doctor who was not present behind the desk. "Boobie Lady! Boooobie Lady!"

Litchi-Faye-Ling, the doctor of the small clinic, slid open the wooden door of the Patient's Room and stepped out with a file in hand. She looked up with a gentle smile upon noticing the voluble Kaka. "Hello, Tao," she greeted, kneeling down to place the folder in the cabinet next to the front desk. "My...you're up early today. What brings you here?" she asked.

Taokaka was generally the type to sleep half the day away, seeing her up and about this early was a very rare sight indeed. Miss Litchi was curious and all the more when the blonde pigtails of the Kaka swayed as she whirled around and peered out of the window, looking around cautiously in a theatrical way.

"Tao...?" the black-haired doctor started, practically speechless. "What are you doing?"

Tao put the mini-cabinet back in its place after holding it above her head in a wild inspection. Certain that there was no one near to eavesdrop, she pranced over. "Boobie Lady! Tao has some questions, and you can answer them, meow? Because you're the smartest person here, right? Right? Right!"

Litchi was both surprised and flattered. Sliding the drawer closed with one hand, she turned to the hopeful Kaka with a modest smile. "Oh, Tao. ...I wouldn't really say the smartest, but..." she faltered with slight uncertainty before carrying on, "I'll help where I can."

Tao's mouth curled to form an elated grin.

"What would you like to know?"

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"This is awesome! Tao will show them, meow, making me wait in that stuffy place without any food while they were out doing...whatever!" Tao waved her arms in the air as she grumbled and made her way through the lively bustle of the business district.

In between her hearty skips, she bumped into someone and ricocheted a few feet away, landing with her bottom on the hard brick ground. "Owww, Tao's butt!" Squirming, she stood up giddily, almost tripping over her feet as she held said area with pained eyes.

"Hm? Watch where you're going, you almost tainted this precious magnet!" snapped the huge red man, before he shielded a horse-shoe magnet and carried on walking, stroking the object ever so carefully and ignoring the befuddled Kaka who was now scowling at him.

"What a weirdo," Tao observed, blinking as she watched him go. She then shrugged carelessly, brushing it off and carrying on down the lane which curved upwards to a small slope which led to the uppermost area of the City.

After entering the arched doors of a large important-looking building, Taokaka took a short moment to look around in awe at the open vicinity which was bordered by isolated raised platforms with nothing but fluttering drapes hanging on the concrete walls. "Man, this place gives Tao the chills..." she shuddered, hugging her arms as made her way forward.

Walking at a slow pace through a wide corridor, the dull thud of her footsteps rolled of the stone pillars erected on the sides. Tao inhaled deeply and then cupped her paws around her mouth as she stepped into an open hallway with a strange, complicated-looking contraption inhibiting it.

"What was Tao here for again?" she whispered to herself, tilting her head in confusion and dropping her arms to her sides. She looked back at the previous hallway and her eyes caught the blue and gold drapes. Oh yes, now she remembered!

"Hey! Flappy Flap! You home?" she called, marveling when her own voice echoed back.

"Neat!" she grinned, leaning over the steel railing to call again. "Meat buns!"

_Meat buns...! Meat buns...! Meat buns...ns...ns! _Her voice echoed back and she chuckled, awed and amused all at once, completely forgetting the reason why she was there in the first place when she had just remembered it.

"Carrot cookies!"

_Carrot cookies...! Carrot cookies...! Carrot cookie...ie...ie!_

"_Chocolate Jerky and Soda!"_

"Presence detected ..." Unexpectedly, a monotonous voice resonated in the area instead of the awaited echo.

Taokaka's tail stood on end, the hairs spiking out even more when a pale girl clad in blue appeared before her with an impassive expression, holding no emotion.

Tao sighed in relief, her tail returning back to its original furry state when she recognized this person. "Hello, Flappy Flap! Tao came to visit you, even though you're creepy."

"...Searching definition...creepy...searching verbs...searching...situation unknown," the girl with the silver hair tilted her head sideward, her expression vacant. "Nu does not comprehend..."

"Yeah, I thought you'd use big words," Tao drawled, slumping over and waving a paw lamely. "That's why I'll cut right to the chase!" she continued in an offhandish tone, chuckling to herself.

Good Guy had the same jacket as Rawrgnya, and this would be used to confuse Flappy Flap. Who came up with this deviously genius plan? Why, Taokaka made the connection herself, as unbelievable as that may have been.

"Do you know, Rawgnya?" Tao straightforwardly asked, wasting no time.

The pale girl paused, eyes shifting a bit before her dull reply droned: "Rawgnya...? Nu does not comprehend."

Tao paused. "Okay, neow how about Tao just show you where he is! The guy with the red jacket and the crazy white hair?"

"Male...red jacket...white hair...crazy..." Nu blinked, recognition sparking. Her face lit up. "Ragna...?"

Taokaka perked up and swiveled around, gesturing for the monotonous girl to follow. "Yes, that's the one! I'll show you where he is."

Nu hovered forward airily yet her unemotional eyes calculated the feline's every move. "...Nu wants to know...what is in this for you?"

Taokaka would have been furrowing her concealed brows at the question, but she answered with a mere shrug. "There's nothing to worry about Flappy Flap! Nothing at all! Meow! Now, follow me."

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Ragna yawned lazily, stretching his arms over his head and going down the three short steps leading out of a restaurant behind him. "Man, that ramen was good."

A short young waitress popped her head out from the entrance door. "Sir, you forgot to pay," she informed him before he could go any further.

Ragna sighed, but then put on his usual pokerfaced expression. He tilted his head and looked over her shoulder, pointing towards some guy with green hair and a hat who was sitting way behind by one of the tables. "That guy over there said he's paying for me."

The waitress looked quite confused, but either way, she flashed him a smile before going back into the restaurant.

"Better get going then," Ragna muttered to himself, shoving his hands in his pocket and walking off towards Ronin Gai.

"Okay, you wait here Flappy Flap! 'Kay? Tao will be back right neow!"

Before any confusingly big words could have escaped Nu's mouth, the kaka girl ran off, leaving her standing in an incredibly dark place far below the ground.

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Noel couldn't help but lean her head back and inhale the air gratefully with a content sigh. The day was so sunny, and she had just finished bathing and eating a meal. She was on her way to find Ragna again, but the moment she stepped outside her temporary living quarters, the rays of the sun made her feel warm and sleepy.

She pouted lightly in thought and then shook her head. "I'll take a nap after arresting Ragna," she said to herself with a nod as she started down the twisting lane.

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"Good Guy! Wait up!"

The cheery voice of the kaka girl caused Ragna to fasten in his pace.

Taokaka carried on with her casual skips and in a moment she caught up with him. She smiled cheerily. "Where were you yesterday, Good Guy? Tao was waiting and waiting and you didn't show, meow..."

Ragna slowed down and looked down at the Kaka. "My auntie. She...er...she got sick and I had to nurse her, yeah that's right. Made her chicken soup, rubbed her aching feet, the works..." Was all he could think up in the spur of the moment. As much as he wanted to, and he _really_ wanted to, he couldn't snap the blunt truth to her innocent question.

Now Taokaka was not the sharpest claw on the paw, far from it in fact, but she could tell a lie when it was spoken and Good Guy, was lying to her. Regardless, she carried on with a toothy grin. "Oh that was very good of you Good Guy!"

Not all too stunned that she bought the excuse, the man in red the red jacket redirected the subject since he wasn't looking forward to elaborate on his nonexistent sick aunt. "Yeah, uh, was there something you wanted?" he asked.

"Meow? Me? Oh Yeah! Tao needed your help, because you're a Good Guy and you'll help me right?" she heartily proposed, causing Ragna to sigh, though not as grudgingly as he had expected.

Maybe he could do one little thing for her to get her off his back, literally, because she was leaning over him from behind this whole time. "Fine," he went, rolling his eyes. "What do you need me to do?"

Taokaka grinned, pushing herself off of him and then thrusting her arms up in a victorious fist pump. "Follow me Good Guy!"

After leading Ragna to a desolate area somewhere near the kaka village, she soon left with an excuse saying that she was going to get something that would help him to help her. With her childish twist of words as a parting, Ragna watched her leave in an upbeat frenzy, raising an eyebrow and contemplating why it was he even considered helping her. He hesitated to wonder what she would get him into this time.

"Well, whatever it is, it can't be worse than that Noel chick." He shrugged to himself, running a hand through his bleached hair.

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Noel Vermillion thud her pistols lightly on her thighs, walking in a lazy and tired trance. She longed for a nap right now, the atmosphere was just perfect.

"Yo! Lacking Ladyyyyy!"

A loud voice interrupted her dreamy stupor which involved buying the stuffed pandas she saw earlier. Noel looked over her shoulders and her stomach dropped. It was that young kaka girl from the day before, the one she and Ragna just left when they were supposed to be playing hide-and-seek.

She felt an unsettling feeling of guilt niggling within her, but pushed it aside to smile wholeheartedly at the kaka. "...Hello there, Tao."

"Tao knows where Rawgnya is! Follow me now before he gets away! Meow!"

Noel blinked at the kaka girl's rushed statement. She instantly readied herself and turned to Tao fully with a nod. "...Please, show me where he is."

Tao grabbed her arm and dashed down the lane in a hurried run, pulling Noel along with her.

If the blonde lieutenant was not focused on her balance and paying proper attention, she would have missed the swift grin of accomplishment on the smiling kaka's face.

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Ragna got up from where he was sitting on the ground, noticing two silhouettes appear from the distance, running toward him.

"What the...?" He stared wide-eyed when he recognized who it was partnered next to Taokaka.

It just _had_ to be her. Without another thought, he turned in the opposite direction, but was too late. Tao reached him with a signaling wave.

"I'm back Good Guy!" she announced, stepping up to him with a wide smile.

"What the hell is _she _doing here?" Ragna carped, ignoring the offended look briefly flickering across the blonde soldier's face.

"Lacking Lady here is the only other person who can help," Tao neutrally explained with a shrug, ramming Noel's back with one paw and sending the blonde colliding straight into Ragna.

Noel flushed, stepping away from the white-haired man who was broken from his cynical pose into a backward stumble. Composing herself, Noel nodded evenly before explaining. "Tao told me she had a problem, and I thought I would help her first...before arresting you, that is."

Ragna was cut off from responding when Tao decided to elaborate further; "Only the two of you can only help me together, see."

After a short moment of staring between the two girls, Ragna gave in with an impatient, "So when are you gonna tell us what the problem is so that we can get this over with?"

Tao grinned.

Ragna and Noel followed behind the Kaka, giving each other furtive glances every now and then. Both of them felt entirely reluctant, yet partially obliged to help. After goin further, the group of three eventually came to a stop, reaching a cubed opening in the ground. Silence rang out between them as they regarded the hole.

Ragna cleared his throat while Noel shifted awkwardly, looking toward the kaka girl who was simply standing there as well.

Tao noticed the expectant looks directed at her and rubbed the back of her head with an unsure grin. She had momentarily forgotten her original problem, and along with that, her plan. Digging up any old excuse, she said, "Uh...er...Tao's bag of meat buns fell down there." She indicated the dark opening.

Ragna and Noel almost fell over at the ridiculous task. "This is all about meat buns!" Ragna spat incredulously while Noel recovered from her stunned gawk.

The blonde creased her brows, equally astonished as she surveyed the hole. "I-I thought this was about something important."

Tao frowned, completely affronted. "Who said meat buns weren't important!?"

Ragna sighed, refraining from massaging his forehead like an old man experiencing a headache would. "Why couldn't you go down there and get it yourself?" he oh-so-calmly seethed, making Tao tense up a bit.

The Kaka paused for a moment and then nodded quickly, simply answering, "Because Tao is afraid of dark places, meow, yeah that's it!"

Noel scratched the side of her cheek, thoroughly confused. "But...don't the kaka tribe live underground?"

Tao crossed her arms with a pout, already reaching her daily limit for thinking up answers to questions. "Are we gonna stand here talking or are you guys going to help me?" she protested, glaring at the two. She then flattened her ears. "You owe it to me anyway, meow," she added with a small whiny voice.

Noel and Ragna exchanged knowing glances, before looking at the downcast kaka girl, drooping to the floor and sighing melodramatic thoughts about not being able to go on any longer.

"O-okay, we'll help!" Noel finally agreed, smiling softly.

Ragna shrugged, seeing that Noel had decided for him already. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to get a bag of meat buns."

Tao prepped up, smiling cheerfully as she produced a vigorous fist pump. "Awesome!"

Distant echoes and dripping could be heard from below the dark hole. They couldn't even see how far down it stretched, but they could definitely smell that it was the way into the sewers.

"What the hell was she doing eating meat buns near a place like this?" Ragna furrowed his brows, inclining his head to Noel who peered in beside him.

The blonde-haired woman shook her head unenthusiastically. "From what I know, I wouldn't put it pass her..." she replied in a low voice.

Tao yawned, impatiently prodding Ragna with the front of her boot. "Stop whispering and get down there already, meow. Tao's getting sleepy."

Ragna was first to climb down the hole with Noel carefully following. Because the pieces of rock they used as a grip and foothold was damp, they lost their balance on the slippery outcrops and fell, down, down. down.

"Woaaaaaaaah!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

After the simultaneous yips of surprise, their backs soon landed on the cold, hard concrete below.

Tao winced, and then leaned over the hole, looking down. "Good Guy, Lacking Lady, you guys okay? Meow?"

Two groans were taken as an approval and Tao nodded, leaning in further with steadily growing anticipation.

Ragna pushed himself up, shoving Noel's legs off of him. She lifted herself up, rubbing her head as she blurrily looked around. "Where's my cap...?" Noel faintly moaned, standing up.

"Never mind that, let's get this over with already," Ragna arched his head back to see the kaka girl looking down at them. "Hey, where's the bag of meat buns?"

"...Presence detected..." Nu's voice echoed, interrupting any responses. "Is that you Ragna?" she asked, her voice dripping with hope as she stepped out of the distant shadows.

Noel shrieked when the silver-haired girl appeared. "Wh-who-where did...?" she stammered, tightly clutching the white-haired man's arm.

"I have no freaking idea." Ragna responded to her incoherent mutterings, jostling her off of him but keeping his eyes on Nu up ahead.

"...Th...Az...ure...Nee...it..." An almost liquid-like blob rose from the ground like a dark pillar, teeming with multiple insects and bugs crawling out to the dank floor. His expressionless white mask of a face observed the two humans who instantly blanched at his sudden appearance.

"B-b-b-buuuuuuuugs!" Noel squealed, her hair spiking up slightly. Bringing up her pistols, she stepped behind Ragna for safety, but this time Ragna was too busy cussing to even tell her not to get so close.

"Oh Ragna! I've missed you so much! Now I've finally found you!" Nu elated, gliding forward.

Ragna stepped back, causing the already jittery Noel to stagger to the side without balance. "What the hell are_ you_ doing here?" he asked in horror.

"A very nice girl told me that this is where you were! She helped us find each other! You should be happy Ragna, this saves us the time it would have taken for you to find me all by yourself."

Disregarding her freakishly happy explanation, Ragna whipped his head up to the beaming face observing from the opening that was meters above.

"Tao, the hell did you do?" he snapped, though he was already well aware of what was going on.

Recoiling from the slowly approaching blob of bugs which was still muttering in a raspy voce, Noel looked up at Tao. "This...this was...a setup?" she said with a thin, strained voice, almost to the point of tears. "H-how could you be so mean, Tao?"

Tao stopped in the middle of her maniacal fit of cackles, lowering her paws. She narrowed her eyes and justified her scheme. "This'll teach you to mess with Tao. You would have left Tao to sit in that stuffy dragon's mouth all night if I didn't hear the two of you talking, meow!"

Just then, Nu and Arakune advanced forward. Both Noel and Ragna's eyes widened as they fumbled for their respective weapons.

"Ragna~!" exclaimed Nu in a singsong voice that expressed her joy.

"Damnit, Tao!" Ragna brought up his sword when the girl in pale blue threw her arms open, extending them for a hug.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!" Noel squealed when the black squiggle popped up in front of her. She stumbled back, almost loosing balance. Bugs and insects crawled out from below the creature, scampering toward her. "Hiiiiiiiieeeeee!"

"I don't want to hug you, you crazy-!" Nu latched herself to Ragna, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he stared at her, aghast. She only giggled when his body tensed, sending old shivers up his spine.

Tao stood up proudly, placing her paws on her hips and holding her head high. "Muahahahahah! Never mess with great and awesome Taokaka!"

She looked up, noticing the red-orange hue of thesky and the clump of grey storm clouds which were all too conveniently forming. She bent down, leaning in to shout one last thing. "Oh and...uh, it's gonna rain. Soooo...see ya!"

Ragna shook his head in disbelief. "Wait a minute! You're just leaving?!" he shouted, aghast.

"Help us out, please! I'm sorry, it was all _his_ idea!" Noel managed a glare at the white-haired who muttered that it wasn't his fault. He cursed under his breath when he attention was diverted back to the two adversaries, one of which was still firmly attached to him and sighing dreamily.

"Maybe next time you should play fair, kay?" Taokaka laughed, waving them a jovial goodbye from above. "Gotta go~!"

As she skipped back to Lost Town, Ragna's foul cussing and Noel shrieks faded out from behind her. Tao paused, looking over her shoulder. She felt a little unsure just leaving them like that.

She lifted and dropped her shoulders in a lame shrug. "Mehhh, they're adults. They can get outta there without my help!" She nodded and then pulled out a sack from somewhere inside the ruffled material of her bulky jumper. Holding it out in front of her, she marveled, "Meow, now for some quality time with meat buns!"

Drooling at the warm, cooked buns, Tao let out a hearty beam. "Revenge isn't sweet, it's spicy and meaty! Meow," she muttered with a full mouth, happily gobbling up a meat bun as she made her way home with a settling feeling of triumph.

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is! The end of the two-shot. I think I once said that it wasn't my best work, which I still believe, but I hope you guys at least liked it. :]


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